The Cherry Orchard is classified as a comedic play, but the characters can teach you a lot. The actions and debacles of these characters act as a kind of social commentary about the industrial age during which this play was written. Dunyasha’s character is an example of this. Dunyasha, a poor maid, is constantly exposed to the lifestyle of the Raynevskayas. She is so accustomed that she has subconsciously tried to adopt “their way of life” (Chekhov 854). Dunyasha’s actions are always countered by someone of higher class who puts her in place. Lopakhin, who has also risen to the middle-class level, is treated differently because of his past. The early industrial age was a time when the idea that a person could never rise above the social class they were born into was prevalent. However, this notion would change soon with the advent of the middle-class. Both of these concepts are seen in the entire play and serve as one of Chekhov’s most important lessons.
Dunyasha is introduced as a lower-class woman who has little chance of rising above her. Lopakhin observes Dunyasha in a dress that is different from her usual low-class clothing as she and Dunyasha eagerly await the Ranyevskayas. He says that she’s “getting too full of herself” (851), and that she should “remember [who] she is” (851). Lopakhin shares the same background as Dunyasha. He has become wealthy and successful, but he still seems to forget who he was. It’s as if his past is no longer there. Lopakhin is not sympathetic to Dunyasha, as you would expect. This selfishness was what made the divide in class between upper and lower classes so large at that time.
Dunyasha tries to prove that she’s more than a mere maid, despite the fact that she’s treated as subordinate. For this reason, she acts differently than a normal maid. She always takes part in conversations with everyone around her regardless of their social status. Dunyasha tries to convince Anya that her life is interesting. Dunyasha treats Anya as though she doesn’t work at her family when talking to her. She says she “can’t hold on another minute” (852), to explain what’s happened in her family since Anya was gone. Anya responds “now what?” (852). The stage directions show that Anya is not interested in Dunyasha and her life, but she continues to talk as if they are friends. Dunyasha is naive about her lower-class status and her desire to live like her employers.
Dunyasha does not fight alone to be considered equal to Ranyevskaya. Lopakhin is familiar with the Rayevskayas because his father used to work as a servant on their property. Lopakhin’s success is not enough to convince some of his family members that he is “crude”. How they act and treat people makes it seem like the family is stuck in a bygone era. The family is in credit, but they still act as if “money grew on trees”. The mother, despite not having any money, gives away “two hundred forty rubles” (850) while her brother always asks who is “wearing cheap cologne”. Maybe if they let go of their old ways, they could prosper. Lopakhin has the advantage in saving the family due to his ability to move on from the past. He is ready to give up the orchard of cherry trees to preserve the future. The family, however, is unwilling to do this because they wish to preserve their past.
The theme of living in the olden days is ultimately what divides the social statuses between the characters. It is partly because the mother does not want to sell her house, as it will be occupied mostly by middle-class families. The concept of “middle-class” was new and not widely accepted by upper-class people. For the lower classes, it was a chance to get out of poverty. Dunyasha was able to move up in the social ladder by interacting with members of the middle-class. The play’s interaction between different social classes reflected the social changes evident after industrialization. Anton Chekhov reveals the discrimination that existed between classes in his play Dunyasha. The fall of the family of wealth and Dunyasha’s treatment also predicts a change that would occur at the time.
